Are y’all ready for the back-to-school bonanza?? I sure hope so, because I’m not entirely convinced that I am. Excited? Totally! Ready? Absolutely not. 

We’ve had almost four months off for summer break, which is a mind-bogglingly large amount of time. Definitely enough time to acclimate to life away from classes, campus, and the best cohort around. Luckily, I have time this weekend to physically and mentally prepare for the inevitable school grind.

Here’s what that looks like:

• Meal prep: I spent wayyyyy too much money on last-minute food near campus last year. The goal for this semester is to eat healthy and stay cheap. With that said, I am exceedingly excited for a well-timed trip to Harold’s Chicken, the perfect indulgence on a stressful day.
• Book a dog-sitter: If you’ve followed my previous posts, you are fully aware of my sweet pup, Peggy. She’s gotten used to days at the dog beach and evening time cuddles, but we will soon be back to colder weather and nighttime paper writing. Balancing work, school, and personal life is always the goal but some days that is just not possible. And this fall, that day is Tuesday: work from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, then class until 10:00 pm. Even on a busy day, she’ll have to go potty, hence the dog walker.
• Farewell to summer: Over the summer, I’ve found my favorite spot in the city. It’s a patch of trees along the lake between Foster and Hollywood beaches, and it’s the perfect spot to set up my hammock, sip some coffee, and read for fun. Recently, I found out that it’s aptly called Meditation Point.

Sure, I’m doing all of these things to get ready for the year, but grad school honestly feels like this amorphous thing that you can never be quite ready for. A year ago, I had no clue I’d be producing a devised theater festival, coordinating a group of 100+ students to go to SXSW in Austin, TX, or interning at one of the best theatre companies in the country. I guess the best thing to prepare for is the unexpected and, like, how do you do that? Improv classes?? Maybe in the future, but for now I’m content with puppy time and one more Sunday in my hammock!

Soon to be swamped,
Charlie